- Date
- March 5, 2009, 21:00 local (Mar 6, 2009, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cleveland, MS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6089KCessna 172P
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090306002509A
- Case key
- 73473
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inadvertent encounter with a bird in flight.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that as he initiated a descent at night, 10 to 12 miles northeast of the destination airport, he heard a "loud bang" and felt the airplane shake. Both he and the flight instructor agreed that the engine gauges and flight instruments indicated normal operation, and no changes to the flight characteristics were noted. The strobe lights and navigation lights were on before the "loud bang" was heard; however, they had not yet turned on the landing lights. Upon landing and further examination of the airplane, blood and feathers were observed on the right wing, and substantial damage was incurred to the main spar and leading edge of the right wing.
Factual narrative
As a descent was initiated 10 to 12 miles northeast of the destination airport, a "loud bang" was heard by both the private pilot and the flight instructor, and they felt the airplane, a Cessna 172P, shake. Both pilots agreed that the engine gauges and flight instruments indicated normal operation, and no changes to the flight characteristics were noted. The strobe lights and navigation lights were on before the "loud bang" was heard; however, they had not yet turned on the landing lights. Upon landing and further examination of the airplane, blood and feathers were observed on the right wing, and substantial damage was incurred to the main spar and leading edge of the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6089K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274166
- Airframe hours
- 5,920
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Delta State University
- Registered owner
- Delta State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 14, 2008
- Departed
- GTR · Columbus, MS
- Destination
- RNV · Cleveland, MS
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- RNV · Cleveland Municipal Airport
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 21, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 877 total · 350 in this make and model · 780 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 78 total · 68 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 187° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GLH, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6089K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.